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- Rules couples should follow in Dubai
Summary
- Tourists should avoid photographing people without permission in Dubai, as it is considered impolite and a violation of privacy. It can lead to legal consequences, including jail time or fines.
- Learning Arabic can help tourists blend in with the locals and facilitate better communication. It allows for deeper conversations, access to local insights, and helps build meaningful relationships.
- Public displays of affection, such as holding hands, kissing, or hugging, are frowned upon in Dubai and can lead to arrest. Tourists should be aware of cultural norms and avoid such actions in public.
As the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai is a wondrous and enriching place to travel to take in the city's rich atmosphere. This impressive city has many places worth-visiting, including the Palm Jumeirah area and the Ain Dubai, which offers a privileged view of Dubai's skyline.
The city has a wide plethora of romantic activities available that are worthy of a vacationing couple's time. However, as rich as the city's culture is, there are also some laws that tourists should be wary of. That means that some of the most simple activities that are old hat in America can quickly get someone arrested if done in the city of Dubai.
TCouples must follow some rules in Dubai as some gestures such as holding hands and public displays of affection aren't welcomed in Dubai. Of course, there are some things people can do to blend with locals.
UPDATE: 2023/09/01 22:40 EST BY LUANA FERREIRA
Rules couples should follow in Dubai
Dubai is a fantastic spot to visit year-round. However, couples visiting the city should follow some rules.
This list was updated to include more behaviors that should be avoided in Dubai.
24 Never Do: Photographing People Without Permission
Photographing people without permission in Dubai is considered impolite and can lead to uncomfortable situations or even legal consequences. Sharing images of people and their properties on social media can be punished by UAE law as it is perceived as a violation of privacy online.
Those who break the law can face up to six months in jail or pay a fine between Dh150.000 and Dh500.000 (approximately from $40.837 to $136.125).
Travelers should always seek permission before taking someone's photograph, especially in public spaces, to avoid infringing on their privacy or inadvertently causing offense.
23 Blend In: Learn Arabic
Learning a new language unveils a new world. Although most people in Dubai speak English, discovering the country's official language can open many doors and help to blend with locals. It facilitates communication with locals and enriches cultural understanding and respect.
By speaking Arabic, one can engage in deeper conversations, access local insights, and navigate non-tourist areas. It proves advantageous in situations like bargaining at local markets, reading signs and menus, and building meaningful relationships with locals. Even basic Arabic phrases and greetings convey genuine interest in the culture.
22 Never Do: Drink In Public
This one is fascinating because alcohol is not strictly restricted in Dubai. There are bars and nightclubs which serve alcohol in the city, but anyone hoping to drink any place else in Dubai is pretty much out of luck. In Dubai, residents can only drink in licensed venues where it is legal to drink alcohol. To do so anywhere else would be considered a crime.
Even in private, a person requires a liquor license to drink alcohol at home.
21 Blend In: Go To The Spa
A vacation in itself can be used as quality time to spend with a partner, especially as a chance to wind down from the busy work done before taking a break. Sometimes, the best way to wind down is to spend a day at the spa. Several hotels in the Dubai area offer full-day spa treatments and provide an assortment of relaxing methods that couples can do together.
Couples can practice several massage therapy techniques at spa resorts, such as hot stone massages and aromatherapy. Some of the best spa centers in Dubai include the Spatha Tower and the Dreamworks Spa.
20 Never Do: Hold Hands
Public displays of affection are generally frowned upon in the great city of Dubai. This would include kissing, hugging, and everything in between the whole nine yards. Even something as simple as someone holding hands with their partner can catch weary eyes from the locals.
Doing such things in a public setting is more than just socially unacceptable. In some cases, public displays of affection have gotten people jailed.
Yes, some people have been arrested for holding hands in Dubai. So for anyone hoping to take an excellent, romantic hike trekking through Dubai with their lover hand in hand, think twice about the "hand in hand" part.
19 Blend In: Go On A Boat Cruise
Sometimes, when a person's feet are aching from driving around and walking extreme distances, it's best to kick back on the sofa, relax, and enjoy the view of a big screen tv. For anyone taking a trek through Old Dubai, we think that the best remedy would be to kick back and relax on a boat to enjoy the ocean view.
Not just any boat, but the world-renowned Abra ride on the Deidra Creek Cruise, where an Arabic buffet dinner is served to the guests. This would work doubly as a dinner date for a significant other on the cruise.
18 Never Do: Live In The Same Home
Anyone looking to take a vacation or trip to Dubai with their significant other should keep in mind that they both need to figure out separate places to stay for each visiting party.
Unless both parties happen to be closely related or are married, it is forbidden by Dubai law for members of the opposite gender to live in the same home together. Unmarried tourist couples--although rarely prosecuted on the matter--will be arrested and thrown in prison on the spot if word gets out that they are sharing a hotel room.
17 Blend In: Go To The Mall
Dubai is home to some of the biggest and unique malls that any city in the world would hope to offer. The Dubai Mall, in particular, is the 21st largest mall on the planet, and it houses the largest candy shop in the world and one of the largest cinema theaters in the region: Reel Cinemas. Couples can make plans for a candy and movie date here.
Visitors also can attend the indoor ski resort - Ski Dubai - at The Mall of Emirates. The Ibn Battuta Mall is also worth checking out, as it is the largest themed mall in the world.
16 Never Do: Kiss In Public
Remember when we said public displays of affection (i.e., holding hands) would be a bad thing to commit in Dubai? Well, among public displays of affection, kissing might be the worst of the lot. It does not matter if one party kisses the other on the lips, on the cheek, or in a private place that would get them locked upon any part of the world; kissing is forbidden in public places in Dubai.
Just ask the British couple - Charlotte Adams and Ayman Najafi - who in 2010 spent a month in jail after committing what they described as a "peck on the check."
15 Blend In: Horseback Riding
Image by Sofie Zbořilová from Pixabay
Horseback riding--or simply horse riding--is a fun thing to do in any part of the world and is doubly enjoyable with a partner. However, if anyone had the chance to partake in Dubai's horseback riding, they should jump on that opportunity. The best place to go for a horseback ride would be on the Al Dhabi Horse and Rental Farm.
Not only do visitors get to enjoy the unbelievable desert scenery while riding a horse at the break of dawn, but they also allow visitors to buy the horses they might have held a special connection with during the visit.
14 Never Do: Take A Selfie
While photography is not necessarily illegal in Dubai, the UAE serves as one of the most challenging places anyone can take a photo. We understand that anyone embracing the extravagance of the land in Dubai will want to document it somehow, and in 2018, that way is most likely going to be a selfie. If someone does opt for a selfie, they need to be wary of who is in that selfie and where it is taken.
It is illegal to take any picture in front or inside a Dubai public building. It is also illegal to photograph someone without their consent, even if they happen to wander into the frame in mid-selfie-snapshot accidentally.
13 Blend In: Skydive
No matter how long they have been together, every couple in the world does need a fresh new spark in their relationship to spice things up a bit every once in a while in an exciting way. One way to introduce a new thrill ride into a relationship is skydiving. A fear-inducing, adrenaline-pumping ride for both parties, Dubai offers some of the best skydiving venues taken with some of the world's most well-skilled professionals. They are well experienced and crafted in the skydiving field. Places like Skydive Dubai offer one unforgettable skydiving experience for couples.
- Price: $598
12 Never Do: Eat In Public
Calm down, future tourists of Dubai. It's not illegal to go out to eat in Dubai. Not entirely, at least. Here's the thing: it is unlawful to eat in public during Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Muslim holiday that states that those in the religion cannot eat while the sun is still up. Which, now we think about it, kind of makes sense why it's illegal.
Even if we don't practice the religion, it should be common courtesy not to overeat in front of people who are not allowed to eat at the time.
11 Blend In: Get In A Hot Air Balloon
This may not be an ideal experience for anyone afraid of heights. Still, in hopes of taking in an incredibly unique, romantic event, a hot air balloon ride would be worth experiencing in Dubai. Dubai's best hot air balloon service comes from Balloon Adventures Emirates LLC.
From September until the very end of May - weather permitting, of course - the service provides a free pickup at the home of the guest passengers, depending on where they stay. The ride is only for an hour, but the entire tour lasts 4-6 hours and includes a gourmet breakfast.
10 Never Do: Swear
We have all been accustomed to spewing the occasional swear word from time to time, especially in the presence of our partner. Whether we are dropping f-bombs in casual conversations, or we happen to find ourselves in a heated argument where the s-word slips up a few times, we have all found ourselves cursing in public.
Well, such words should not be flying so quickly on Dubai land, as it is considered a severe offense there to do so.
Even something as simple as pulling out a middle finger can get a tourist yanked in handcuffs in the back of a Dubai police car.
9 Blend In: Take Dance Lessons
Dubai is filled with some of the most luxurious, well-decorated dance studios to exist in any place in the world. These dance studios include the James & Alex Dance Studio, the Step n Groove Dance Studio, Sharmila Dance, MPDS Dubai, the Arthur Murray Dance Center, Pole Fit Dubai, and Mad About Dance Dubai. At these studios, dance techniques like traditional ballroom, bachata, swing, jive, foxtrot, the tango, the samba, and even classic Bollywood dance routines.
Taking dancing classes at any of these studios with a significant other could serve as an intimate get-together between lovers.
8 Never Do: Dance In Public
While those in Dubai can take up dance classes in studios, they should not dare to practice their new moves in public. Much no less in the middle of the street. Because let's face it when we practice something that takes long hours of hard work, dedication, and time, we want to bust out our new skills as soon as we get the chance. And sometimes, we get so giddy about what we learned that we couldn't help but break out in song and dance outside for everyone to see.
In Dubai, dancing, singing, or making loud noises in general in public would be committing a public nuisance.
7 Blend In: Scuba Diving
One of the most exciting things that any couple could do together in the luxuries of Dubai is to scuba dive. Dubai enjoys some of the finest, vast, and expansive bodies of water in all of the lands, and it is truly a wondrous sight to visualize while underwater. Scuba diving sites like the Barracuda Barge, Anchor Barge, Sharm Rocks, Scuba Shade, and Cement Barge allow visitors to spend at least 2.5 hours underwater to take in the aquatic atmosphere under the sea.Travelers can also dive in Dubai's deepest pool.
- Average price: AED 800 (amateurs) AED 1.600 (certified dive experience). Approximately $217 for amateurs and $435 (Certified dive experience).
6 Never Do: Spread Rumors
Looking at this in hindsight, people generally should not be spreading rumors about anything or anyone in any part of the world, but that is especially true if done in the city of Dubai.
In Dubai, spreading rumors, gossiping, and spreading false information is illegal. This is especially true when this gossip is spread on social media, which is considered a form of cyberbullying.
Whether done in person or online, spreading rumors in the UAE can land people in jail for up to three years and cost a fine of 1 million dirhams, which is about $275,000 in US dollars.
5 Blend In: Go To The Park
Some of the best couple-oriented activities can be done at the park. Whether going for a run together or enjoying a picnic on the side of the grasslands, the park is an excellent place for couples to spend time together. Rest assured that there are plenty of parks to choose from in Dubai, but the best of the lot indeed is the Al Barsha Park Gate 3. Not only is the scenery there just flat-out gorgeous, but the community there offers yoga sessions that are open to anyone and everyone in the area. The non-competitive, traditional tantra yoga that they offer is relaxing.